Signature stitcher including signature centering means



p i 1962 c. H. HElGL ETAL 3,030,624

SIGNATURE STITCHER INCLUDING SIGNATURE CENTERING MEANS Filed July 20, 1959 2 SheetsSheet 1 ArmRn/E Y5 April 1952 I c. H. HEIGL ETAL SIGNATURE STITCHER INCLUDING SIGNATURE CENTERING MEANS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 2.0, 1959 INVENTORS CAPL/fif/E/GL y V/craeAZuaa z/ I I I 7 Arra Y5 United States Patent 3,030,624 SIGNATURE STITCHER INCLUDING SIGNATURE CENTERING ll/HZANS Carl H. Heigl, Bay Village, and Victor A. Zugel, Parma,

Ohio, assignors, by mesne assignments, to Harris-Intertype Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Filed July 20, 1959, Ser. No. 828,182 6 Claims. (Cl. 1--7) The present invention relates to a stitching apparatus for books, pamphlets, and the like, and, more particularly, to a stitching apparatus including means for centering the book or pamphlet on a supporting saddle preparatory to the stitching operation. Such an apparatus is generally used in conjunction with a signature collator which gathers individual signatures into book or pamphlet form. For the sake of simplicity, the following specification and claims will use the term book to include a pack comprised of one or more signatures which are stitched along the fold of the signatures to form a book, pamphlet, or the like.

In conventional stitching apparatuses, a book to be stitched is supported on a saddle having a generally inverted V shape and is moved along the saddle to a stitching position. After the book is in the stitching position, stitching heads disposed above the book are actuated to stitch the book by inserting a plurality of staples therein. The stitching heads each cooperate with a clincher box supported underneath the saddle supporting the stitcher and extending through a slot in the top of the saddle.

In order to obtain proper stitching, it is important that the book be accurately centered on the saddle. The conventional way of centering the book has been to provide a plurality of centering rollers which engage the book as the latter is moved to stitching position. Each centering roll or roller is supported immediately above the saddle and the periphery thereof is adapted to fit the folded edge of the book and to center the latter on the inverted V- shaped guide.

The centering action of the conventional type centering roller has not been entirely satisfactory and applicants have found that this is due, in a large part, to the fact that the centering rollers are operating or trying to center the book at the time the book is gripped and held against centering movement by the mechanism for effecting the transfer of the book. Applicants have further found that the centering of the book with respect to the saddle can be satisfactorily accomplished by a centering roller having a generally V-shaped groove in the periphery thereof and which is reciprocated vertically toward and away from engagement with the fold of the book after the book is in stitching position and after it has been released by the gripping means for moving the book to the stitching position.

From the foregoing it can be seen that an important object of the present invention is to provide, in a stitching apparatus of the type wherein a book is moved along a saddle to a stitching position by means which interfere with lateral movement of the book relative to the saddle, a novel and an improved centering means for effecting a centering of the book on the saddle.

, Another object is to provide, in a stitching apparatus as in the preceding object, a centering device which is positioned clear of the book as it is moved to stitching position and is actuated to engage the book after the book is in stitching position and before the book is engaged by the stitcher heads.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment thereof made with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of the present specification for all matter shown therein and in carriage for moving a book to and from the stitchen' Referring to the drawings, a stitcher embodying the present invention is shown in FIG. 1. The stitcher of FIG. 1 comprises a saddle 10 upon which books B are.

supported during the stitching operation. The saddle 10 extends to the left and to the right, as shown in FIG. 1, so that the book to be stitched may be moved along the saddle 10 to the stitching position and then after stitching it may be moved along the saddle 10 to deliver the stitched book from the stitcher. In the stitcher of FIG. 1, the books to be stitched are shown as being delivered to the stitcher from a conveyor chain 12 which has spaced lugs 13 thereon that extend upwardly through a guide 14, of generally inverted V shape. The lugs are adapted to engage a book supported on the guide and move it along the guide as the chain 12 is moved through its endless path. The chain 12 and the guide 14 have their exit ends adjacent the left-hand end of the saddle 10, as the latter is viewed in FIG. 1, and the books are taken from the chain 12 and moved along the saddle 10 by gripping means comprising a plurality of fingers 15 on a transfer carriage 16. The transfer carriage is supported at the rear side of the guide 14 and the saddle 10, as they are viewed in FIG. 1 and, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, includes a pair of tubes 17, 18 which are reciprocated in unison to move the book from the exit end of the chain 12 to stitching position and to then return the carmerge. the rear side of the inverted V-sha-ped guide 14 and extends from this cutout portion parallel to the saddle 10, while the tube 18 is disposed outwardly of the rear side of the guide 14 and of the saddle 10. When book B is supported on the guide 14, the pages or leaves S on one side of the book extend downwardly between the tubes 17, 18 and the fingers 15 are supported on the tube 18 so that, if the tube is rocked around its axis, the fingers- 15 are moved toward engagement with the tube 17 to clamp the book between the fingers 15 and the tube 17. When the leaves S are clamped by the fingers 15 and the carriage is reciprocated, the book moves with the carriage from the end of the chain 12 to their stitching position and when the book being transferred is in the stitching position, the fingers 15 are operated to release the book and the carriage is then operated in a return stroke to position the carriage to transfer the next book leaving the conveyor chain 12 to the stitcher. The structure of the carriage 16 is best shown in FIG. 4 and it can be seen that the tubes 17, 18 are slidably supported on stationary rods 20, 21, respectively, and are reciprocated by the operation of a crank 23 fixed to a drive shaft 24. The crank 23 is connected to reciprocate the carriage 16 by a connecting link 25 pivoted to the crank 23 and to a rocker member 26 which has a pairof vertically extending arms 27, 28 which are respectively connected to the tubes 20, 21 by links 30. The link 30 conmeeting the arm 28 to the tube 18 is connected to a collar 31 on the tube 18 which allows the tube 18 to rotate relative to the collar but which is axially movable with the tube 18. The fingers 15 are operated to clamp and release the books by rocking the tube 18 relative to its supporting rod 21 and this rocking movement is accom- Patented Apr. 24,1962

The tube 17 is disposed in a cutout portionof plished in timed relationship to the reciprocation of the carriage by a linkage operated by a cam 34 fixed to a shaft 35 geared to the drive shaft 24 so that it is rotated in a one to-one relationship with the drive shaft 24. Cam 34 operates a rocker member 36 connected to reciprocate a pair of arms 37 and 39. The arms 37 are spaced generally horizontal arms and a. bar 38 is fixed to their outer ends and extends parallel. to the tube 18 along the rear side thereof. When the rocker member 36v is rocked by the cam 34, the bar 38 is reciprocated vertically and the vertical reciprocation of the bar 38 is transferred to the tube 18 to rock the latter by a block 40 fixed to the tube 18 and having a pair of rollers 41 which are'respectively disposed on the'upper and lower side of the bar 38. 7

When the book is in stitching position, which is the position; designated by the reference character P in FIG. 1, a plurality of stitching heads 42 are actuated to insert a plurality of staples in the fold of the book. The stitching heads 42 are supported in a line over the saddle by a support plate 43. The support plate 43 is supported by spaced frame members 44 and the stitcher heads 42 extend upwardly from the support plate 43. Each stitcher head 42- has a lug 45 which extends from the rearward side thereof, as they are viewed in FIG. '2, so as to be received by a slot 46:: in a bar 46 which extends parallel to the saddle 10 above the support plate 43. The bar 46 is reciprocated vertically to move the lugs 45 vertically to actuate the stitcher heads 42 to effect a stitching or stapling of the book in stitching position. Each. stitcher head has a stitching element 48 and when thebar- 46 is moved downwardly, the stitching element of each. stitcher head in use moves downwardly toward engagement with a respective clincher box 50 supported on the underside of the saddle 10 and extending upward- 1y through the opening in the top of the saddle so as to be. in: alignment with the stitching element 48. Each clincher. box backs the book so that the staple from the stitching element 48 may be applied to the fold thereof.

In the illustrated embodiment, the bar 46 is shown as being supported for reciprocation in spaced guide members 52 disposed respectively at the opposite ends of the bar 46 and supported fromthe support plate 43. The bar 46, extends. through the guide members 52 and is connected; at its. opposite ends to the ends of a pair of generally horizontal arms 53. The arms aresupported ona shaft 54 for rocking movement relative thereto and are reciprocated or rocked from a cam 55 fixed to the shaft 35. The cam 55 efiects the rocking of the arms 53 by a linkage which comprises a rockshaft 56 connected tobe rocked by the cam 55 through an arm 57 fixed to the shaft 56 and having a cam follower thereon which cooperates with the cam 55. The shaft 56 has fixed thereto a pair of arms 58 which have their outer ends-connected to respective onesof the arms 53 by a. link. 59 so that, when the rockshaft 56 is rocked by the cam. 55, the arms 58 and the links 59 are actuated to rockthearms 53 which, in turn, effect a vertical reciprocation of the bar 46. The cam 55 is timed so that the barv 46 is rocked to actuate the stitcher heads after the release of the book by the fingers 15.

Inaccordance with. the present invention, a centering roller 60. is reciprocable vertically into engagement with abookin stitching position. The centering roller 60 has a V-shaped groove 61 in the periphery thereof so that the roller will fit the fold in the book. A cooperating backing plate. 62 is. disposed underneath the book and extends upwardly through the opening in the saddle 19', so that the, bookwhen engaged by the centering roller 60, is centered on. the top of .the backing plate 62; The top. of the backing plate 62' is preferably arcuate, as. is shown in the'drawings, and of an inverted. V-sh'aped cross'section to fit the inside of the fold. The vertical plane which contains the .line of stitching effected by the stitchingheads 42"bisects'the V-shaped'groove 61 ofthe a 4 centering device 60 and V-shaped portion of the backing plate 62 so that the groove 61 and backing plate 62 cooperate to center the fold line of the book B along the stitching line of the stitcherheads.

The centeringroller 60 is rotatably supported on an axle 63. The axle 63 is formed by a reduced portion of a shaft 64 supported by a U-shaped bracket 65 having arms 66 disposed on opposite sides of the roller 60 with axle portion 63 is of smaller diameter than its receiving opening 67.

The centering roller 60 is disposed adjacent the shoulder formed by the reduced portion 63 and is spaced from the outer end of the reduced portion by a sleeve 68 which threads onto the outer end of the axle por tion and which is also externally threaded to thread into the side wall of the opening 67 which receives the axle portion. The sleeve 68 is threaded onto the axle portion until the inner end thereof is immediately adjacent the roller so as to limit its movement on the axle portion but so as not to bind the roller against rotation. An Alien setscrew 6? is inserted from the outer end of the sleeve 68 so that the sleeve 68 is properly positioned on the shaft when the setscrew engages the end of the shaft. With the setscrew in proper position, the sleeve 63 cannot bind the roller. Rotation of the sleeve 68, however, will adjust sleeve 68 and the shaft 64 axially with respect to the arm 66 receiving the sleeve 68. The adjustment of the sleeve 68, and in turn of the roller 60, may be locked by means of a lock nut 70 on the threaded portion 68.

The yoke member 65 carrying the roller 60 is connected to the bottom end of a vertical rod 72 which extends upwardly from the yoke member 65 and is slidably received'by a boss 73 forming a part of a support of conventional construction and further description thereof is not deemed to be necessary.

The upper end of the rod 72 extends above the boss 73 and a generally horizontal arm plate 80 is supported on the upper end of the rod 72 in position to overlie the bar 46. The plate 80 has an opening therein through which the rod 72 passes and is connected to the rod by being clamped between a pair of nuts 81, 82 threaded onto the upper portion of the rod72. The nuts 81, 82 may be moved along the upper portion of the rod to adjust the positionof the plate 80 and may be loosened to permit the plate 80 to be rotated to a position clear of the top of the bar 46.

The plate 80' is so positioned that when the bar 46 is in its uppermost position, the rod 72 and, in turn, the centering roller 60 is lifted to a position clear of the book B being delivered to stitching position. The length of the rod 72 is such that when the roller 60 is disposed in its uppermost position, as is indicated in dot-dash lines in FIG. 2, the roller 60 extends to a point closer to the book B than the stitching elements 48 so that, when the bar 46 is moved downwardly, the centering roller 60 drops into engagement with the book B in stitching position before the book is engaged by the stitching elements. The rod 72 is freely slidable in the boss 73 so that gravity will effect the necessary dropping of the roller 60 as the bar 46 is lowered. If desired, a biasing spring can be provided.

When the roller 60 engages the book B, its downward movement is limited by the backing plate 62 acting through the book, but the bar 46 is free to continue its downward movement to complete the actuation of the stitching element 48. Asillustrated in the drawings, the

roller 60 preferably engages the book B and centers the same when the bar 46 has completed approximately half of its downward stroke. When the bar 46 is moved upwardly to return the stitching element 48, the bar 46 will lift the centering roller 60 to a position clear of the books in stitching position or those being moved to stitching position.

Since the downward movement of the bar 46 is timed to occur after the book B has been released by the fingers 15, the signature will be resting freely on the saddle when it is engaged by the centering roller 60 and will be free to move laterally in response to the centering action of the roller.

After the book has been stitched, the book is moved to a delivery apparatus D disposed adjacent the left-hand side of the stitcher, as the latter is viewed in FIG. 4, by a second set of fingers 85 carried by the tube 18. The second set of fingers 85 operate between a position at the stitching position and a position at the delivery end of the stitcher when the carriage is reciprocated to efiect a delivery of the books from the stitcher. These fingers 85 are operated by the rocking of the tube 18 to clamp a book to be transferred against the tube 17.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention provides a new and an improved method and means for centering a book in a stitching apparatus and the centering of the book is accomplished in a novel and an improved manner and at a time when the book is free on the saddle so that the centering movement can take place.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in considerable detail, further modifications, constructions and arrangements within the ability of those skilled in the art can be made, and it is hereby our intention to cover all such constructions, modifications and arrangements which fall within the ability of those skilled in the art and the scope and spirit of the present invention.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. A stitching apparatus wherein a book of superposed signatures has a V-fold therein to be stitched and is supported in a stitching position by an inverted V-shaped saddle which supports the book of signatures in an inverted V position with the fold uppermost, the book being free to move laterally relative to said saddle immediately prior to the stitching operation, a stitching head supported above said position and including an element movable toward and from engagement with said book in Work and return strokes to stitch the book along a line, a vertically reciprocable member supported adjacent said element and above said position and connected to the element to effect a reciprocation of the element in its work and return strokes upon the vertical reciprocation of said member, a centering device disposed above said position and clear of a book therein but closer thereto than said stitching head whereby movement of said stitching head and device toward said position as a unit will cause said device to engage a book in said position in advance of said head, stationary means supporting said device for reciprocation toward and from engagement with a book in said position to center the book with the fold thereof along said line, means connected to said device and engaging said member whereby said device moves with said member when the latter is moving downwardly until said device engages a book in said position and permitting lost motion movement thereafter relative to said device in a downward direction.

2. A stitching apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said device is biased downwardly and said connection comprises an arm extending from said device and resting on said member whereby said member supports said device, there being clearance below said arm whereby said member may move downwardly away from said arm when said centering device engages a book in said position.

3. A stitching apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said centering device is a roller having a V-shaped groove therein.

4. A stitching apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said arm is mounted on said device for swinging movement between a position overlying said member and a position to one side of said member.

5. A stitching apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein the vertical position of said arm relative to said member is adjustable for given positions of said device and memher.

6. A stitching apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said centering device is a roller having a V-shaped groove therein.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 937,925 Christensen Oct. 26, 1909 1,287,334 Kast Dec. 10, 1918 1,291,913 Kast Jan. 21, 1919 1,349,662 Christensen Aug. 17, 1920 1,644,192 Kast Oct. 4, 1927 1,718,571 Manny June 25, 1929 2,110,805 Lutolf Mar. 8, 1938 

